What does it mean to get serious about graffiti? Hartlepool, a town in the North East of England, has intensified its anti-graffiti efforts this week by launching a groundbreaking initiative that adopts a zero-tolerance approach to graffiti: the Hartlepool Active Response Team (HART). This forward-thinking council now offers a free graffiti reduction service to all residential and commercial properties in Hartlepool, making it easier than ever to report graffiti vandalism.

Terry Robinson, Graffiti Manager for Hartlepool, asserts, “We have always taken graffiti very seriously in Hartlepool. We hope that by providing a free graffiti removal service to all residents and business owners, we can encourage the public to take graffiti vandalism seriously as well and join us in making Hartlepool a graffiti-free town.”

The innovative program will see HART applying a clear anti-graffiti coating to many graffiti hotspots through a service known as HART Protect. The durable anti-graffiti coating will enable the swift removal of graffiti from any surface and assist the HART team in eradicating graffiti safely and without the use of chemicals. Every effort has been made to ensure the new initiative is as environmentally friendly as possible. Terry explains, “We have chosen a coating that lasts up to 20 years, and wherever possible, we will be cleaning using a completely biodegradable graffiti remover. This way, we not only minimize the financial cost of graffiti reduction to the council, but we also reduce the environmental impact of our efforts.”

The HART team will also work on protecting all new street signs in the town with the clear anti-graffiti coating, and the public is encouraged to report graffiti through the council’s website. Graffiti removal wipes are even being made available to anyone who wants to participate in the graffiti reduction effort for a nominal fee.

All in all, the Hartlepool initiative appears poised for success and could serve as an excellent model for any council wishing to confront graffiti head-on.

*Conditions apply

Urban Hygiene Ltd is one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of performance coatings and a leading provider of graffiti prevention and reduction solutions. For over a decade, Urban Hygiene has delivered award-winning products that protect surfaces from damage caused by fire, graffiti, pedestrian traffic, UV radiation, bacteria, and much more. They also develop some of the most effective and environmentally friendly graffiti removal agents available today.